Once We Were Home
by Jennifer Rosner
Where is Home? (11/2/2022)
This book was very different from other WWII books that I have read. It takes place over several decades from the late 1940s to 1968. It deals with four Jewish children who were separated from their parents and hidden during the war to keep them safe from the Nazi. After the war several organizations tried to return them to their surviving families. This had long lasting effects and sometimes caused psychological damage to the children.
Three of them were brought up Catholic from a very early age and had no knowledge or memories of their Jewish faith. They were left searching for religious roots and did not feel comfortable in either religion. Several were moved around to different families and didn't remember their own parents and when they did end up with their own families they were strangers, albeit welcoming ones.
Ms. Rosen managed to convey the fear people had, not just the children, but also their parents or the surrogate caretakers of being discovered. Her description of the early founding of the state of Israel and life on a kibbutz was very interesting.
Running throughout the book was the theme of "home" and what it meant to the various characters.
This book would be a great book club choice as there are a lot of topics to discuss.
Good Husbands: A Novel
by Cate Ray
Who Do You Believe? (2/22/2022)
The book has a great start that immediately hooks the reader. Three women (Jessica, Priyanka and Stephanie) receive letters from a woman named Holly saying their husbands had raped her mother, Nickie over 20 years ago. One of them was her father, but her mother never knew which one. Holly sends them identical letters giving them each other's names and addresses. She also left them the address of a storage facility. She said the reason she was contacting them was because she was terminally ill and wanted these men to be brought to justice.
None of the women knew each other or had ever heard of the accuser. All of them considered their husbands as men who could never commit such a heinous act and considered their marriages secure.
Jessica became the leader of the group; she became obsessed with making the husbands confess to what they had done and to extract some kind of retribution. Stephanie is the most reluctant to meet the other women or to pursue the revelations in the letter. Priyanka agreed to let Jess take the lead. Throughout the book we learn more about the women's lives and also Nickie's life after the rape.
Although the book deals with a very serious subject, I don't think it would have any trigger issues for a reader. This was a fast paced book and I think it could make for a good discussion in a book club. the only reason I did not rate it higher is because the ending was weak and I did not find it very satisfying..;
Honor
by Thrity Umrigar
Can you ever go home again? (9/9/2021)
This was an easy book to rate, no hesitation five stars, but then the author is Thrity Umrigar who never disappoints. The story follows Smita a journalist who travels the world reporting on human rights abuses. She comes back to India, a country that she left when she was a teenager and had no intention of returning in order to help her fellow journalist Shannon. What she doesn't realize is that what Shannon wants is not help with her recovery from surgery but to write a story about a woman named Meena.
Meena is a Hindu who married Abdul a Muslim and because this caused shame on her family her brothers set fire to the couple's home. Abdul died and Meena escaped but she was horribly disfigured. Meena did an unusual thing and brought charges of murder against her brothers.
When I first started to read "Honor" I thought it was set in the distant past. The fact that it takes place in present day India was a shock. The murder happened in a remote area where Hindu and Muslin relations don't seem to have changed since the 1940s when the country was divided.
Because of an incident that changed her life and gradually unfolds, Smita's feelings for India are summed up when she says, "...she found herself dealing with everything she detested about this country - its treatment of women, it's conservatism. But you're the damn gender issues reporter."
Shannon has her friend Mohan an upper caste Hindu escort Smita to meet Meena, her lawyer and her brothers. At first Smita sees Mohan as a privileged rich man and dislikes him. However, as she gets to know him she starts to view him and India, the country he loves, in a different way.
Ms. Umrigar brings the city of Mumbai to life with her descriptions of the crowds, the heat, the beauty and the cultural disparities. You feel as if you are on the journey with them whether they are in a large city or a remote village. Smita's journey helps her to come to terms with her past, to heal and to appreciate the things she loved about her homeland. We also learn about Meena and come to respect her strength and courage as she tries to protect her daughter Abru and face the consequences of her decision to marry outside her faith and try to live her husband's dream of a new Hindustan.
It is impossible to read this book and not be touched by these characters and deeply immerse yourself in their stories.
Parts of this book are hard to read, but I think it would make an excellent choice for a book club.
Morningside Heights: A Novel
by Joshua Henkin
Morningside Heights (3/26/2021)
I had high expectations for this book and was really looking forward to reading it, mostly because it's set in the neighborhood where I grew up and of which I have fond memories. While the upper west side of Manhattan was the location for most of the book, it probably could have been set in almost any metropolitan area with a university as a backdrop.
If this book is supposed to be funny, the humor was lost on me. The characters were so strange and their interactions to each other made little sense to me. This definitely would make a GREAT book club pick since I would love to discuss it with someone, but sadly I didn't like it enough to recommend it to anyone.
Spence Robin is a Distinguished Professor at Columbia University, a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Award and has a waiting list for his classes on Shakespeare. He marries his graduate student Pru, but neglects to tell her until they are seriously involved in their relationship that he has a son (Arlo) by a previous marriage. Arlo's mother got custody of their child and Spence sees him on holidays and one month in the summer. When Arlo is 15 he comes to live with them, they have a young daughter named Sarah. Arlo calculates he has spent a total of two years with his father.
Sarah is very smart and excels in school while Arlo is dyslexic and struggles with reading and keeps getting left back. I found this section of the book where Spence decides there is nothing wrong with his son other than that he's lazy and decides to teach him to read very disturbing. Spence is a bully and arrogant. Love or lack thereof is a constant in this father and son relationship. Eventually Arlo leaves and goes back to living with the peripatetic Linda who neglects his schooling and they move around each time she becomes involved with a new man.
The POV switches throughout the book between characters, time periods and locations, while not too jarring it was rather annoying. People leave abruptly and don't stay in contact with each other for years (mostly Arlo) and then they unceremoniously reappear and at the same time profess to really love each other.
I don't mind a book where none of the characters are "likeable" however none of these characters were relatable to me; for smart people they sure were dumb in some ways. For example, if someone can no longer do daily tasks without help i.e., put on their shoes and lace them – give them loafers to wear. If you are nervous about cutting someone when you shave them – use an electric razor. Perhaps I am quibbling about trivia, but these things drove me crazy.
On the plus side the descriptions of dealing with Alzheimer's were heartbreaking and very well written. Pru's struggle to get help and decisions on whether or not to get Spence into an experimental treatment program as well as her guilt over trying to still maintain a life of her own struck a chord.
I found Arlo to be the most interesting character in the book. He appears for a while, then disappears, he starts schools and then drops out. He seems to have a strong moral compass no thanks to his upbringing, he becomes very successful and yet is a social misfit.
I wish I could give this book a higher rating, but all-in-all it left me dissatisfied.
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
Living a Lie (1/25/2021)
Belle de Costa Green started life as Maude Greene; her mother changed the family's name after leaving her husband and moving to New York City. She foresaw the Jim Crow era as the post-Civil War era was beginning to change in the South. She felt the only way her light skinned children could succeed was for them to pass for white. "To be colored in America is a burden that I don't want them to have to shoulder." This was especially painful since her husband was an early civil rights author and activist.
And succeed they did. Three of the daughters became teachers, her son was an engineer and Belle became one of the most successful and famous working women of her time. She was the chief wage earner in the family.
The Gilded Age in America is a fascinating period and JP Morgan was one of the most important and influential men of his day. He single handily rescued the US Treasury Department; his wealth was staggering.
Belle started out working at the Princeton library and through Morgan's nephew secured the job of being Morgan's private librarian. The way she procured rare manuscripts for the library and pushed after Morgan's death to make sure it's contents were made available is a fascinating story.
However, the best part of the book for me was how she kept her race a secret. There were times when it was like reading a thriller; if her secret had been found out Belle's whole family would have been in jeopardy. She had to keep a constant vigil and be careful with all her personal relationships. New York's elite upper class of Vanderbilts, Astors and the like never would have accepted her.
It was also very poignant to see her feelings. She did not want to be white and was never happy denying her race. The writers manage to portray her emotional conflicts in a very passionate way.
There is so much to discuss in this book: art, history, fashion and especially race which is a timely subject. Although the book has two authors it is seamless and the two write with one clear voice.
I strongly suggest reading this book, it is fascinating historical fiction.
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
by Marie Benedict
Three Cheers for Agatha! (10/25/2020)
Other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Agatha Christie is probably the most famous mystery writer of all time. When she disappeared for eleven days in 1926 the English countryside saw thousands of people searching for her. They even called the search The Great Sunday Manhunt. Mrs. Christie's husband claimed after finding her at a resort in Harrogate that she had suffered from amnesia. She never commented on what really happened and up until now it as remained a mystery.
Marie Benedict has done a great job in telling a fictional account of what happened. The novel begins with a letter that includes instructions to her husband Archie and then continues with chapters that alternate between 1926 the day she disappears and 1912 when the Christies first meet. These chapters switch from narration by Agatha to third person narration. I had to get used to Ms. Benedict's style of writing since the prose was often elaborately descriptive, but the story was extremely engaging and fast paced.
There were a lot of revelations about Mrs. Christie, i.e. who knew she liked to surf! The details of Mrs. Christie's life added interest to the story and the author obviously did a lot of research. As the story progressed one developed strong opinions about the characters and I found myself rooting for Agatha who seemed to be a very complicated but likeable person and feeling animosity toward her husband who was insufferable and selfish.
One humorous person was Chief Constable Kerwood who seemed to foreshadow the "Columbo" character. He was described as a slightly unkempt man in a rain coat with "latent intelligence."
The ending and explanation of the events was entirely satisfying; indeed, I hope it was true. I received a galley proof unfortunately the author's notes were not included. I highly recommend this book to mystery fans.
Big Girl, Small Town
by Michelle Gallen
A Side Order of Fries Please (10/12/2020)
I had a hard time deciding how to rate this book. At first, I thought two stars but as I progressed, I began to like it more mostly because of Majella the main character. Some readers might be put off by the style of writing which was in a STRONG Irish accent and no quotation marks. Ms. Gallen set the book in a small town in Northern Ireland that still has signs of the Troubles. The British arrest people who come back with black eyes and bruised faces. Majella's Uncle Bobby was in the IRA and is considered a hero by some in the town, her own father's sympathies were definitely with the South.
We are introduced to lots of characters in the town all with colorful nicknames and the only humor I found in the novel was the description of how they got them. You really got the claustrophobic feel of living in a small town - the hopelessness and resignation. The ending was abrupt and I would like to believe that Majella was able to move on to a better life. One of the town characters was arrested, we never found out why; we also don't know what happened to her father and that makes me hope for a sequel. After reading Big Girl Small Town you will definitely want to head to your nearest chipper for some fries.
Ms. Gallen is a good storyteller and I would definitely read her next book.
The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal
by Bryn Turnbull
The Rich ARE Different (6/29/2020)
I very much enjoyed The Woman before Wallis; I would have given it more than five stars if that rating were possible. I highly recommend this book.
I thought I knew a lot about the Duke of Windsor's abdication, but this book filled in a lot of details that were new to me. Through Thelma Morgan ( Lady Furness) there was a connection to the British Royal family and the famous custody suit for Gloria Vanderbilt, between her mother and her Vanderbilt grandmother. Lady Furness was the Duke's mistress and the twin sister of Gloria Vanderbilt's mother. Learning about all the behind the scenes was fascinating.
This look at the lives of American and British wealthy upper classes was very revealing. It's hard to imagine anyone keeping up that standard of living today, probably very few do. It's always fun to peel behind the curtains at the private lives these people led, but it does create a feeling of distaste at the values they had. Although the author does not go into the future life of the Duke, he did not make much of a contribution to the betterment of anyone other than himself. Behind all the glitter none of these people seem to be very content or happy with their lives.
I think it would make for a good discussion in a book club. I also think viewers of the Netflix series The Crown would enjoy it.
And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Not what I expected (12/8/2019)
Perhaps no woman other than Princess Diana has so enthralled the world as much as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Therefore, I was really looking forward to reading this book to see if there were any new insights into Mrs. Onassis' life. Unfortunately, this book does not live up to that.
Obviously, Ms. Thornton did a lot of research. However, she writes in such florid prose that she manages to make Mrs. Onassis sound like a heroine from a Barbara Cartland novel. At the same time, she stresses how intelligent Jackie is, but she "melts at his touch" so often that after awhile it's hard to take the book seriously. Ms. Thornton also throws in some French expressions which I began to find annoying.
I had a hard time finishing this book and I hope Ms. Thornton has a better editor next time around. She does have talent, but just not in this book.
Mighty Justice: My Life in Civil Rights
by Dovey Johnson Roundtree , Katie McCabe
What an outstanding woman (8/30/2019)
I would rate this book a ten if I could. It's one of the best biographies I've ever read.
I had never heard of Dovey Johnson Roundtree before I read "Mighty Justice." What a life she had!! Once you start to read her biography you won't be able to put it down. It's very readable and very fast paced especially her descriptions of her courtroom sections.
Mrs. Roundtree was a descent of slaves and was born in Charlotte, NC during the height of the vicious Jim Crow era. She was influenced by her Grandmother who instilled in her that she was just as good as anyone else and also a strong work ethic that drove Dovey to success (excel) at everything she did.
She attended Spelman College on a scholarship and worked several jobs to pay her way. She went on to become one of the first black woman to enter the WAACs during WWII – only 30 women were accepted into the first WAACs and she rose to the rank of Captain.
She earned her law degree from Howard University where only a handful of women were in her class and later in life, she became a minister. She handled some high-profile cases which helped to defeat the Jim Crow laws and broke the barriers for women as well as blacks.
I highly recommend this book and think it would make for engaging discussions for book clubs. This remarkable woman deserves to be raised to a higher level of recognition than she holds now. Brava Mrs. Roundtree for standing up for freedom for all Americans; she has set a powerful example of what one person can accomplish. she is an inspiration for all women.
Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America
by Nefertiti Austin
From Foster Care to Adoption (8/5/2019)
I'm sure we've all heard the expression "It takes a village." Ms. Austin did not have a village when she set out to adopt a Black boy as a single mom, so she created her own. There was very little research to be found and she did not have a lot of support from her family when she decided to adopt August, but she persevered.
Deciding to adopt a Black boy had it own set of obstacles since people kept telling her girls were easier, but she rightly felt that Black boys needed the special attention and love that she could give a child.
Her own childhood had its difficulties because her own parents were not capable of taking care of her or her brother. She was strong from a very early age and did not follow her parents down the path of drugs and selfishness. Her grandmother was a warrior for her and made sure she got a good education and set a strong example. I really enjoyed reading about her childhood and how being raised to be independent and strong gave her the courage to become single woman adopting a Black boy.
As a white woman it was especially interesting to learn about her experiences. This book is very timely since we are undergoing a terrible racial divisiveness in this country. We need to have more people discussing our similarities rather than our differences. In the end, as mothers we want the best for ALL children. White people must learn not to judge Black boys and have erroneous assumptions about them. That is why I think this is an important book - it's readable yet very informative and I highly recommend it.
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
by Anissa Gray
Family Relationships (10/5/2018)
A really good book is satisfying but leaves you wanting more. Although the ending does bring closure, I would really like to know what the future will be for this family. I like to think that they went through an amazing period of soul searching and came out better for it.
The book explores many relatable family relationships. The secrets we keep, the lies we tell each other (and ourselves), all eventually come to the surface and the characters have to deal with them. Ms. Gray writes about marital relationships, birth order in families and how that affects us and also heartbreaking parent and child relationships through generations.
Although each chapter is told by different characters, it flows smoothly. When characters speak of past events it does not interrupt the flow of the narrative like some books do which can make them jarring or hard to follow.
I think this would make a great book club choice. It grabs your attention from the first page. There is a lot to discuss. This is Ms. Gray's first book and I look forward to her next one.
Our House
by Louise Candlish
A House of Secrets (5/28/2018)
You never know what is happening behind your neighbors' doors and sometimes you don't know what is happening in your own house. I just finished this book and can't wait to share it with someone because I really need to discuss it. That is how you KNOW a good book when you read one.
Fiona and Bram Lawson seem to have a perfect life in a perfect house in a perfect neighborhood….but they don't. There are cracks in their marriage and lots of secrets. When Fi comes home from a weekend away and finds another couple moving into her beloved house everything starts to unravel for her.
The story is told in the present with flashbacks and a podcast transcript that Fi does, as well as text messages. The story flows smoothly between the time sequences and it's easy to follow the plot. This is a fast read because you just have to see what happens next, a rainy weekend made this the perfect companion.
I think it would be a good pick for a book club because you feel the need to discuss it. There are also interesting topics such as - how far would you go to protect you marriage and your family. How past secrets can affect a marriage and what happens to ordinary people when something goes terribly wrong.
Meet Me at the Museum
by Anne Youngson
A friendship flourishes (4/25/2018)
Although "Meet Me at the Museum" is a short book, it is not one to speed through, but to savor. It is so nice to read a book about older people which does not ridicule them. I guess this is why it has been compared to "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry."
This is a book that makes you think about your own relationships with family, music, poetry and other things. The letters and emails between Tina and Kristian are like diary entries. We learn about their daily lives and their relationships. The book is so well written that by the end you feel as if you really know (and care) about these people.
Ms. Youngson writes in a beautiful descriptive way about nature and the personal events that take place in the book, this is why you want to slow down while reading and allow yourself to think about some of the passages.
I enjoyed it and I think it would make a good book club choice since there would be many topic to discuss.
French Exit
by Patrick deWitt
French Exit (1/26/2018)
Although none of the characters were very likable, they were very amusing and witty. Perhaps a bit too studied in their witticisms, but that really did not bother me.
The book is about a relationship between a widow, Frances Price and her son Malcolm. For various reasons Frances has ignored the advice of her accountant and now finds herself broke.
The description of her lifestyle and how she spent her money was at times eye-boggling, definitely the life of a one percenter! I also loved reading about Paris and the eccentric people who came into their lives added color to the story.
It is a very fast read, and enjoyable, but I'm not sure it would be a good choice for a book club. I really liked Mr. DeWitt's style of writing and will definitely read his other books and I look forward to reading anything new that he writes.
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Our Lady of the Prairie
by Thisbe Nissen
Our Lady of the Prairie (11/1/2017)
I really enjoyed the way Ms. Nissen used language. There were scenes where her descriptions made me almost laugh out loud. She made a tornado funny!
This book would be a fabulous choice for a book club because it was so confusing at times that I really wanted someone else's opinion to clarify things. At times she was all over the place - politics; flashbacks to French collaborators and then a fantasy ending. She also changed scenes very quickly ending one paragraph and then jumping into a scene several hours, or days later. It became confusing and the political rants didn't enhance the story. I also could have done without the spanking scene which seemed to go on forever.
Phil was not a very likeable or relatable character as others kept remind her she "just didn't get it." sadly neither did I.
Seven Days of Us: A Novel
by Francesca Hornak
A house full of secrets (5/19/2017)
Seven days is not a very long time, but it was interminable for the Birch family. Everyone had a secret.
At first I feared the characters would be stereotypical the stiff journalist father, Andrew; the spoiled egocentric daughter Phoebe; Olivia, a doctor in an organization similar to Doctors without Borders who looked down on her family for taking creature comforts for granted and Emma, the mother, who kept quiet about all her years of pent up frustrations. Lack of communication was the theme and the cause of a lot of unnecessary pain.
The book is written from five different point of views, but it flows easily between the characters. I loved the descriptions that Ms. Hornak used: "...the horsehair mattress - so soft one longed for snorkel." was one of my favorites.
Within a very short time I became completely engaged in the book and wanted to know (and also hoped) for everything to be resolved. This would be very good choice for a book club and I sincerely hope Ms. Hornak is already writing her next novel.
The Women in the Castle
by Jessica Shattuck
Women in WII (3/27/2017)
I loved this book. It represented three different viewpoints of this era. I found the characters were not stereotypes. The heroic woman who represented the Resistance in Germany did have some flaws. The one who had been at first a follower of Hitler made us see how ordinary Germans felt at the time and did a little bit to make me understand the "How did people let this happen." The book was well written and I highly recommend it.
Extraordinary Adventures
by Daniel Wallace
Extraordinary Adventures (2/2/2017)
I was hooked after the first few pages. This book is a fast read and very entertaining. Socially inept and set in his ways Edsel Bronfman hates change. However, one phone call was all it took for him to begin the biggest (and first) "extraordinary adventures" of his 34 years. And I loved going along for the ride! He accidentally blunders into situations that will make you laugh and at other times be very touched by him and the people he meets. One of my favorite Bronfman sayings is "Telling a lie was like having a baby, you had to take care are of it for the rest of your life."
If you enjoy Richard Russo's writing, I think you definitely will enjoy this book. I plan on recommending it to my book club. Although it is light reading there are quite a few topics that would lead to a good discussion.
The Next
by Stephanie Gangi
A Woman Scorned (7/1/2016)
A blurb from the cover perfectly sums up this book. "The Next isn't just a ghost story – it's a love story…What freedom comes from being a ghost! I no longer am accountable." The story is told in alternating voices, from the perspective of Jo as she begins to use her ghostly powers and from her ex-boyfriend Ned and her daughters. When Jo turns into a ghost the revengeful acts she performs on Ned are almost deadly. She is determined to make him pay for his betrayal of her and she succeeds. Beware a woman scorned, indeed!
There is a lot to discuss in "The Next" – love, marriage, parenthood, mistakes we make in our lives and the unsaid things we always regret. Who hasn't had revenge fantasies and how far would you pursue them? That question alone would make for a good book club discussion. It also discusses the power of social media, how the instant posts on twitter/facebook and their global reach impacts on people's lives.
I really enjoyed the way Ms. Gangi uses language. She is a poet and this comes through very strongly throughout the book. As an example "She was hacking her way through a thicket of sympathy, a tangle of sincerity, the brambles of concern. She hates. It."
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading her next one.
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